Few sports offer the great mix of camaraderie and adventure that rugby union can provide. With a culture of hospitality to enjoy that few other sports can match, there is also a superb selection of international events.
One of the great things about rugby union is the international scene that binds the sport together across countries and cultures. Whether you enjoy seeing the Home Nations, France and Italy compete for the Six Nations crown each year, or prefer something from the epic clashes of the southern hemisphere behemoths, the opportunities for travel are great.
Lions Roaring in Australia
One of the great events in rugby union is the four-yearly tour of one of the southern hemisphere rugby giants by the British and Irish Lions. Tour package providers such as Gullivers Travel offer some great packages to supporters who want to follow this iconic team on tour in 2013, when they will be visiting Australia. The last time that Australia was the destination for the tour, in 2001, something like 20,000 fans travelled from Britain and Ireland to support their team.
Certainly, this tour will be one of the biggest rugby union and indeed sporting, events of 2013. There is nothing quite like the four home nations of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England coming together to take on the might of the southern hemisphere. As in every Lions tour, there will be a number of tour matches to complement the test series, meaning that supporters can get to see some of he 'Lucky Country' while also supporting their team. Checking out some of the great offers available from providers such as Gullivers Travel is well worth doing and supporters can find packages that cover part or the whole of the tour, depending on their budget.
Sevens Thrills and Spills
But one of the really superb travel opportunities that rugby union provides is in its Sevens tournaments, which take place in a wide range of wonderful venues across the world. The Hong Kong Sevens in particular is an exotic and exciting event, with teams participating from across the world. Sevens specialists such as the Fijians really relish the freedom for self-expression that the abbreviated form of the game, making the IRB World Sevens Series events a real treat for fans wherever they are held.
As well as the superb rugby on show, Sevens tournaments also show how diverse the world of international rugby union has now become. So while you might well encounter fans from Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific Islands, you are now just as likely to bump into Spaniards or Kenyans.
With such diversity and camaraderie on offer, it is well worth checking out some rugby travel options today. Marvellous memories and new friends await.
Sean McDermott grew up in the Irish rugby union heartland which is the town of Limerick and has been told that he was present at Munster's famous defeat of the All Blacks back in the early 1970s. He was too young to remember that particular event, but his career as a sports writer has seen him enjoy many other great occasions in Irish rugby. He writes for a range of blogs and websites about sports travel, providing advice to companies like Gullivers Travel.